Random Famous Supervillains Whose Powers Don’t Work The Way You Think (14 items)

(#2) Joker
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
What You Thought His Superpower Does: The average fan can't be blamed for not fully understanding the Clown Prince of Crime's power levels. Almost no character in comic book history has varied throughout their appearances as much as the Joker. Sometimes he's a mobster, and sometimes he's a horrific lunatic stalker. In general, aided by most of his appearances, the average fan seems to believe there is nothing extra-human about the Joker. He has the strength and intelligence of a normal man; he's just a lunatic.

What His Superpower Actually Does: In Grant Morrison's esteemed series Arkham Asylum, it is revealed Joker has a condition known as super-sanity. Basically, the Joker has no real personality of his own and chooses a new personality to inhabit each and every day. This not only accounts for Joker's unique brand of bonkers but also the massive discrepancies between his various incarnations.
(#10) Kingpin

What You Thought His Superpower Does: As the Kingpin of the underworld, Wilson Fisk has men to do his dirty work. This has led to him gaining weight and earned him a lifetime of cruel jokes at the hands of Spider-Man.

What His Superpower Actually Does: Kingpin has only nine pounds of fat on his entire body. The rest of his massive frame? Pure muscle. This muscle gives Kingpin basically superhuman levels of strength. Kingpin can easily go fist-to-fist with Daredevil and can even take on the massively powerful Spider-Man in a fight. At one point in time, Kingpin used a 1,500-pound dumbbell as a tool against Spidey, effortlessly swinging it around the room.
(#1) Doctor Doom

What You Thought His Superpower Does: Doctor Doom is the genius ruler of Latveria who has opposed the Fantastic Four since day one. Thanks to a common misconception caused by the 2005 Fantastic Four movie, many believe Doom gained his powers and scarring while on the mission into space with Reed Richards and the FF.

What His Superpower Actually Does: Victor Von Doom has studied the mystic arts since he was a child. His mother was a sorcerer, and she taught Doom from a young age. As an adult, Doom continued his training through tutelage with Morgan Le Fey. Doom received his famous scars while attempting to open a portal into Hell to rescue his mother from Mephisto's clutches.
(#9) Magneto

What You Thought His Superpower Does: Magneto, AKA Max Eisenhardt, is the master of magnetism and famed frenemy of Charles Xavier. With his complete control of all things metal, he's a worthy foe for any opponent. Even with the common misconception that Magneto basically possesses an odd sort of limited telekinesis (because he can only use it on metal objects), he's still incredibly powerful.

What His Superpower Actually Does: Magneto is one of a very select group of mutants classified as Omega Level. All mutants classified as Omega are the most powerful mutants of their specific powerset and have no limit to their abilities. Magneto can use his powers to control the entire electromagnetic field of a planet and once used his abilities to control a metal object that was literal lightyears away from him.
(#3) Rhino

What You Thought His Superpower Does: The Rhino is a massive man with super-strength that likes to play dress-up like a zoo animal. He's a core villain in Spidey's rogues' gallery, but the general public definitely knows a lot less about his origins than, say, Doc Ock or the Green Goblin.

What His Superpower Actually Does: Similar to Bruce Banner before him, Rhino was given incredible abilities through experiments with gamma radiation. On top of his gamma-given powers, his rhino costume is actually a sophisticated suit that gives him increased strength and makes him more impervious to damage.
(#7) Juggernaut

What You Thought His Superpower Does: Nothing can stop the Juggernaut. That oft-uttered statement is the best descriptor of what Cain Marko, AKA the Juggernaut, is capable of. It's commonly believed Marko's mutant ability is that once he gets any momentum at all, he can't be stopped. Not by anyone.

What His Superpower Actually Does: Cain Marko is the step-brother of Charles Xavier. Yet, even with Cain's proximity to such an integral mutant leader, he himself is not a mutant. His powers are a great deal more mysterious and convoluted. Marko gained them after happening upon the temple of Cyttorak while stationed in Korea. In the temple, Cain was possessed by Cyttorak and given incredible power, making him a human juggernaut.